Filed at the end of 2021, the trademark covers a wide range of goods and services and is presumably an umbrella term for Epics vision for the metaverse.
While theres no universally accepted definition, the metaverse is a network of 3D virtual spaces where users can socialise, play, and work, and some envision it as a successor to the mobile internet.
Last April, Epic announced the completion of a $1 billion funding round to support its metaverse plans.
It included an additional $200 million investment from PlayStation maker Sony, which also invested $250 million in the Fortnite and Unreal Engine firm in 2020.
“Their investment will help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys, while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services and the Epic Games Store,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said at the time.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles-based Spire Animation Studios announced that Epic had invested in the company. The pair are collaborating to integrate Unreal Engine into Spires feature animation pipeline to build metaverse experiences.
“The talented team at Spire has decades of experience and their work has captivated audiences around the world with heartfelt storytelling and inspiring characters,” said Epic CTO Kim Libreri.
“They are at the cutting edge of animation and together we will push the state of the art in metaverse entertainment.”
Xbox owner Microsoft announced last month that it intends to acquire Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal–the game industrys biggest ever by some distance–that will accelerate the growth in its gaming business “provide building blocks for the metaverse”.